Internal-combustion engine



July 10, 1923.

J. W. HALL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTI ON ENGINE Filed March 4, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 a imYw. bl 907012 Jul 10, 1923.

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J W HALL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March .lrb I r 1 i Juiy' 10, 1923.

Patented July 10, 1923.

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mmuL-counosrmn nnomn Application filed larch t, 1820. Serial ll'e. 383,857.

To all whom umay concem:

Be it known the! I, John Wmon HALL, a subject of the kin of Great Britain, re-

siding at F eltham, Lhddlesex,.England, have invented certain new and useful Improvemeats in Internal-Combustion Engines, of n which the following is I. specification.

This invention relates to improvements in four-stroke cycle internal combustion ennines of} the type employing a reciprocating sleeve valve mechanism It is especially appiicable to a multi-cylinder engine having a plurality of cylinders around a central crank case, and to ado'uble series of such cylinders ranged in adjacent parallel planes at right an Ice to the centre lme of the crank shaft. no of the objects of my invention is to facilitate, the admission of the combustible mixture into the-cylinders and the ejection of the exhaust ously with an efiiiizii' t scavenging operation,

and perticular object is the construction,

ofnnengine with simplified valve mechanism and'cylinder' construction of such a nature that the engine may be built in a ver light form for evolving a, considerab e amount of power.

My invention is especially applicable tp air croft work where much power for li ght weight and small size is essential, and I,

claim to obtain this in a greater degree, by myr invention, than hitherto. r

0 this end, the invention comprises the construction of a series of radial cylinders around .a crank case, the provision of a single sleeve valve for each cylinder, the provision of exhaust ports in each cylinder at the outer end thereof openin preferably direct into the atmosphere. co d the provision of inlet ports to each cylinder at the opposite end, either in communication with an outside sup )1 of combustiblemixture, or

' suction stroke,

with a Supp y from the crank case, the fea- .ture of these inlet ports bei' that they do not open until-just before i e end of the while air is admitted freely durin the first half of the said stroke throng the exhaust ports, and then reduced in pressure during the second half. of the stroke, the admission being achieved without any possibility of redrawing l k e e! I house products of combustion from 'the previous stroke and so that when the combustiblo mixture enters therefrom simultanesha t. I

there is a pressure below that of the ctmosphere in the cylinder. An-

other feature of the construction with r'il to the'opening of the inlet rfs 'isthjl the movement of the sleeve on he firingstroke is different to that on the induction stroke, whereby there is no possibility of the'bi'ode acts of combustion passingto the inducticili passage andthereby mixture. as is the case in some other known engines. v

The sleeve valve may [reconstructed of thin cross scctlon in order that it we sufllcient flexibilityto render :it e -alirsible at the higher pressure in the cylin or..

By this means a constructionis qbteined whereby one plane ma haveaseries of eylmders, say nine, comp tely around l'rank case; the. second plane may have a. similar series of cylmders, say nine, alsoaroundthd crank case and staggered in relation to the first series, whereby an impulse my begiven to the crank shaft substantially at ninedifferent points of the crank 011016011. each revolution; and very good equalization oi to no may thus be imparted tqjthe crank The acconapanyi drawi illustrate a preferred form of inven t gmi;

,Fig. 1 is a side view partly-in 7 ion, developed. on the line ABC of' Fig. through the middle of an engine having a douiile series of cylinders. I

Fig. 2 is on end view partly in section approximately at a line suclvas X, -iliig. 1 passing between the two sets ofcylinders so as to indicate the valve mechanism;-- 1

Fig. 3 is a modified view sho'wi the valve sleeve witl1out'exhaust-'norts,' an a Single row otexhaust ports inthe c linder';

Fig.- 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the sleeve operating discs attached to the crank shaft so that one groove can be'ieen in relation ,to the other;

Figs; 5, 6, and 7 illustrate die ram'rnwtically particular positions of the have and the piston respectively at particular I ihts of 'the cycle, it being noted however t V at as shown in these views the induction passe is not necessarily connected with the ore These Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show the arm mehtof exhaust ports used where the doc is exposed to a natural dra. ht 0 air such as caused by the passage of engine through the atmosphere, as .on an aeroplane while 8 illustrates the arrangement 0 ion ports when the cooling air is admitted onr pr Fi 9 shows a modified construction in which the ports'of the cylinder are com trolled by poppet valves.

Reform all particu ar cylinders of the engine. the odd numbers, 1, 8. etc, being in one plane, and the even numbers 2, 4,etc., being in an adi'laoent plane parallel with the first. Each cy 'nder is provided with a sleeve such as working within a cylinder, which is providedfpreferably at its outer end with a series o exhaust ports 21, 22, and the sleeve rovided at its inner end with a series of [8 in action orts 23 24. The exhaust ports open into t in outside atmosphere, and in the particular engine illustrated the induction ports 23 open into the induction passage 25 which is in communication with the crank chamber through the series of ports 24. 'lfhe 25, instead of being connected with the crank chamber, may equally well'be connected: with some other source of fuel sup. ply, see Figs-5, 6, 7;

26 isthe crankshaft, 27 the connecting rod, and 30, 31,.32,nnd 33 are plates or discs, the discs 31 and 32'being connected by a suitable jointing-arrangement, as shown at 29, these discs 31, 32 and 83 practically forming crank webs for the shaft. 26. The outer end of the crank shaft hearings will be of ordinary character, but in order to provide a satisfactory bearing tor the inner plates 31, 32, which also act as cams for working the sleeve valve, roller bearings 28 are rovided which supporttha said cam discs 'on ring races 34 carried by the casting of the crank case. Valve rods, suchas 35',

36 connect the sleeves 20 with cam grooves,

40, 41 b means of shuttle pins such as 37, so caile from the'g'rooyo 40 into relation with the groove 1 and back 'againaoqording us they are actuated by inclines in the said grooves. The urpose of this arrangement is so that the sl eeVe 20 may be actuated our-the firing and exhaust strokes, by the groove 40. and on the induction and compression strokes by the ve 4l-inorder that the movement of the said sleeve shall be different. and the reason for this is that the engine working on a four-stroke c -cle, the movement of the sleeve'requires to he different on each alternate revohition', in that it. is dcsirnhleto have a longer closing of the exhaust. ports on the firin stroke than during: the corresponding inr net-ion strokeduring which the exhaust ports admitair.

As wil be seen from the drawing. each sleeve is operated by a rod such as 35,36, :1. number being disposed radially around the centre line of the crank shaft. for the series of cylinders 1, 3 and the like, and a number being disposed substantially in the same to the drawings. 1, 2, 3, 4 are because they move transversely i the cooling air enters naturally due to the position of the engine, the cycle of operations is as folloivsa- On the. firing stroke. by means of the groove 40 the sleeve is stationary and the exhaust ports closed. except that at the end of the firing stroke the sleeve moves inward (i. e. towards the crank shaft) so that the inlet ports are not uncovered by the piston at the end of the stroke, (see Fig. 5) and at the same time as ports 81,- 22 are opened. Fig. 5. shows the position at the bottom dead centre,- the exhaust ports being 4 partly open .with the sleeve moving inwards with maximum rapiditggand it should be noticed in connection with this exhaust stroke that the cylinder remains open to exhaust not on] as shown in-Fig. 6, which is the top of he exhaust stroke but for an roxi mately a further half stroke inwards living the followingzinduction stroke,' 7 and: durin which pine air is drawn into cylinder througli exhaustports 21, 22, The exhaust ports therefore. are open continuously substantially for a stroke on a halfto ,the atmosphere, and us shownin Fig.6, they are fully open at the end of the exhaust stroke, and in such a way that there will be a compligte scavenging of the combustion chamber in one side to the other by air passin across the said chamber, which must comp etely remove any spent gases which might otherwise remain, as well as cooling the interior of theoombustion chamber. This is a point of considerable value as it not only prevents overheating of sparking plug and piston, but increases percentage of oxygen present in the cylinder, with consequent increase iii power.

Fig. 7 shows'the position as the crank is about to pass over the bottom dead centre on the inletstroke; the exhaust ports having been closed for the latter half of this stroke and the sleeve in the position being stationa whereas the iston is moving inwards. For the depth of t o inlet port 23, therefore, the piston uncovers same for an a preci- 'able time, both over the end of its inward stroke and the beginning of its outward stroke. The compression stroke now takes Elaoe, the sleeve moving inward during the rst part of the said stroke, until the exhaust ports in the sleeve-are midway between he ports 21 and 22 in the cylinder; the sleeve now remains stationhry until the end of the compression stroke, when the cycle of operations is completed. It will be noticed that. the inlet ports are 0 n and the exhaust ports close at the end of the inlet stroke, the sleeve being stationary while at the end of the firing stroke, the sleeve is moving inwards with maximum rapidity, the inlet ports being closed and the es'haust port's being opened." This is achieved-by the operation of the sleeve in the camgroove 411instead of the groove 40 ow' to the shuttle pin Eli hai-ing been trans erred from one to the other bv an incling in the base of; the groove- ,whi'ch carries the end of the pin 3? completely clear of the 'groove, onto a surface Indeed in which there is no groove present.

In Fi 2 8 is illustrated the applicationof artific-ia scavenging, that is, where the pure air is forced thr'ou h the'cylinder as would be necessa when fimengine is not opposed to a nature draught, a's-for instance, in most cases of airship or aeroplane design.

The piston is shown at the top of the exhaust stroke; the exhaust iorts22 are open and the stream of cooling and scavenging air, suppliodunder' pressure from. such- .SOlllOB as a. punip working from the crank shaft ofthe engine, is entering, the cylinder throughftho condilitfl and scavenging ports 9, whzchma'y have anysuitahle. means i for regulating such supply. 1

,, ecycle of ope' -ation is the same as has heen desicribedwith reference. tothedrawv a cylindrical section accurately cross-head 38 on the end of the rod :lfiI- It fitithe varying radii of the u'am grooves on either side, \vhil'e'the centre of the. Pin is of itting u will 'hcudrrsl.mul that-a rod similar to 36 aotuatcti lrslceve similar to 20 in each of the cylinders s'urivnmdiu; the crank cases. With an engine, therefore, havingisny, nine c \'lindri's in"eii'cli pldne"nu impulse would be given nine times in a. revolu'lion approxi.

mately at equi distant pnints of the said revolution, and thcreb} a very regular impulse may be transihittml to the r-ran'k shaft by a large number of cylinders with so Sllllplo evolve mechanism as to have but little more weight than valvr mechanism often proposed {or two or three cylinders only.

It will be noticed that thcreal'e no fsprings, gears, or extra shafts in the valve mechanism. and in theconstruction shewn, no exposed working parts. It ,will be also noticed, if the timing of the engine is followed, that the expansion of the sleeve takes place only when gas pressures in thecylin- -der are high, and the sleeve is stationary, or

practically so, -i. e., on the latten part of the compression stroke and the ma ority of the .power stroke. By this means I am able to do away, not only with all packing: rings, but also with the detachable cylinder head. Referring to Fig. 4, which shows the fares of the discs 31, 32 opened outwards from cach other, the inclines referred to hereinbefore are shown as between the mints-12, 43 and 46, 47 for the disc 31 am between the points -14, 45 and 45 audit! for the disc 32. p

. It will he noticed that-my invention is not restricted to the use of a slecve'valve. or to the fuel inlet ports being at; thciiinerend of the cylinder. For instance, an ordinary poppet valve at one side of the'comhustion chamber may be used for exhaust, as'irnilar valve at the opposite side may be used for the admission of air'to the cyliriileigefitl a third such valve, placedconvcniently inthe the combustion chamber, may be used for fuel inlet. Such a construction isdingrammatically illustrated in Fig.9, in u'l iich' indicates the l poppet valve conttollinghthe air inlet I); indicates .the valve controllin the exhaust port E and'c indicates a valve controlling the gas inlet episton. is shown atthc top of-the compression stroke.

1. In a four stroke cycle inte rnalwombust on engine, a scrivs of. exhaust andscavcng i in: ports arranged around thehighpre'ssure end of the combustion space ufeach-cvllndcr, n rec-lprocnble sleeve valve taking i rear ng on each respective cylinder wal-Landurrans.

for reciprocating saidsleevc valve, so that; the exhaust and scavengingpostsaregnaintnined opruduriug the \vhole of ench oxhaust stroke. and for approxmirtelyithe'first half of each following 'rnductiozt stroke, comprising; juxtaposed discs coaxiallys {mounted. and provided ou their-opppsed fa es with complementary groove fpaths, a. rod' connected to said sleeve-"valve and a shuttle member carried h)" Sllitl -IOd' tind adapted to'hc artunlrd nltcrna fielu'byeach groove path. and meansfor simultaneously rotating said discs. 1

2. In a four stroke cycle internal combustion enginexa series of oxhmist'aruhscavcnging ports arranged-:1round the'high pres sure end of the couihustiou spncc'of each cylinder, :1 fneliulet-ope 1 1iugtosaid cylin dcr; a reciprocablesliicge'vitlye taking hearing on eachrespective cylinder wall and controlling said exhaust and scavenging ports and fuel inlet as set forth, and means for actuating said sleeve valve, comprisin juxtaposcd discs coaxially mounted,'an provided on their opposed faces with complementary groove'paths, a rod connected to said sleeve valve and a shuttle member carried by said rod and adapted to be actuated alternately by "each groove path, and means for simultaneously rotating said iscs.

3. In a four stroke cycle inter combusend of the combustion space 0 tion engine, a series of exhaust and scaveng ing ports arranged around the hiigh pressure inder, a fuel inlet opening at'the opposite end of each s'uhl cylinder, a recipnicnble sleeve valve taking bearing on cachrespective cylindcr wall, and controlling gu ld exhaustfame with complementary groove pat rod connected to Silid sleeve valve and a.

slnrttlc member carried by said rod and exhaust and scavenging adapted to be actuated alternate] by, each groove path and means for simu tnncously rotating snic discs.

4. A four stroke cycle internal COIN- bnstion engine including in combination, a plnrality-of cylinders arranged in parnllcl planes, 2 piston for each cylinder, in ported sleeve vnlve between each said cylinder and piston, exhaust and scnve! 'ng ports at the explosion and of each sun cylinder, inlet ports at the inner end of said cylinder. disposed to be uncovered by the said sleeve valve and piston, and means for reciprocating said sleeve valve so that the exhaust and.

scavenging portsfnre opened to nllow.scnvengin by a. transverse drnnght-nnda fresh air a ission, Ind the inlet ports are only opened toivartls the end oi the induction strokenseet forth, said means for reciprocating-each said sleeve nlve comprising juxtaposed discs mounted on.the en crank shaft between each plane-of cylin ers and rovided on their opposed faces with comp menu. groove paths, a rod conncotedto-sai sleeve valve and a.- shuttle member carried by said rod and adapted to be actuated alternately by each groove path.

6. A four stroke internal combustion engine, includin in combinatiom-acrnnlr case, a. plurality o radial cylinders, arrnn ed in two parallel rows and m staggered re ation, in iston for each cylinder, a. ported sleeve v ve between each said cylinder and I ivisiton,

rts at t e explosion end of each said cy indcr, inlet ports at the inner end of said cvlinder disposed to be uncovered by the said sleeve valve and piston, and means for reciprocating said each cylleeve valve that aeeveng ingports nre opened to allow scavenging ,by

a. tnnsverse dra t and-c'freshnir admin.- sion, and the in! dis am only opened to wards the. end of induction stroke l8 set forth, Said means for i'edprocntingeaoh acid said rows ofggo rs.-

ke-interx'ml combustion 6. A four gine, including in combination a crank case, a plnrahtfiv o radial cylinders, erraergged in two para el rows, and in stagger relatlon, a piston for each cylinder a ported sleeve vulva between each said cyl piston, exhaust and scnven' g rtsnt the explosion and of each mi cy der, inlet ,ports ct the inner end of said cylinder disto be uncpveredby-the said sleeve valve and iston when at the inner end of said 1; lin er, and means for reciprocat' snid cove valve ao-thnt the exhaust an scavcngingrts are opened to allow exhaust, scavengmg a transverse drought, and a fresh nir admission, and the inlet ports are only open lanyards the end of the induction stroke, as set forth, said means for reciprocntin said sleeve valves-com a. crank lit, a. pair of discs line on said engine crcnlr shaft, and disposed ui-distent of the middle plane between e two rows at cylinders, complementary groo ve paths being formed on the opposed faces of said dim: rod connected to eeoh sleeve valve and i g portly between said discs and a. shu e member carried by each rod and adapted to be actuated alternately by each groove pnth.-

In testimony whereof I nflix my signature.

J QHN WALLACE HALL.

VVitnI F 411) mm, G E- lm.

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